Hopes have been dashed that a parasitic worm will effectively kill hordes of invasive millipedes plaguing parts of New Zealand.
Residents on Wellington's south coast sounded the alarm about infestations of the Portuguese millipede almost a year ago, with stories of finding hundreds of the scaly black creatures around their homes and inside bags, shoes, and even beds.
Last month, website iNaturalist reported a possible sighting of the millipede in Christchurch.
The Ministry for Primary Industries had identified the species in New Plymouth and Nelson - and while it is considered a nuisance, it is not classified as a pest species and does not meet the threshold for official control measures.
She said given the species had been established in New Zealand for at least 20 years, there would not be any formal response to its spread and the population was not tracked.
"However, we will provide advice to local authorities where required. We encourage people to report these insect pests when they are detected on iNaturalist.
"While they can be a nuisance, Portuguese millipedes pose no risk to human health and are not known to have any negative effects on the environment," she said.
Victoria University entomology professor Phil Lester had not seen the Christchurch specimen in person but said he and others on the technical advisory group (set up in response to Wellington's millipede infestation) thought it was highly likely to be a Portuguese millipede.
